It has been suggested that RAF Mauripur be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since October 2024. |
PAF Base Masroor (ICAO: OPMR) is the largest airbase operated by the Pakistan Air Force. It is located in the Mauripur area of Karachi, in the Sindh province.[1]
PAF Base Masroor | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Logo of PAF Base Masroor | |||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Pakistan Air Force | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Karachi | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1940 | ||||||||||||||
| Commander |   Air Commodore Muhammad Umar | ||||||||||||||
| Occupants | No. 2 Squadron PAF No. 4 Squadron PAF No. 8 Squadron PAF No. 22 Squadron PAF No. 84 Squadron PAF | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 35 ft / 11 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 24°53′37″N 66°56′20″E / 24.89361°N 66.93889°E | ||||||||||||||
| Website | Pakistan Air Force | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  PAF Base Masroor | |||||||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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The base was originally known as RIAF Base Mauripur (1940-47), RPAF Station Mauripur (1947-56), and after 23 March 1956, as PAF Station Mauripur.
PAF Base Faisal and PAF Base Bholari are the other Pakistan Air Force bases in Karachi.[2][3]
History
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The airbase at Mauripur was established by the RIAF during World War II in 1940–1941. After the Partition of British India, the base became RPAF Station Mauripur.[4]
On 24 May 1968, PAF Station Mauripur was renamed to PAF Station Masroor in honor of base commander Masroor Hosain.[4]
On 1 July 1970, Pakistan Air Force stations were renamed to bases.[4]
Features
editMasroor airbase has the distinction of not only being the largest base, area wise, in Pakistan but also in Asia. Before Karachi Airport, this airport had been used for domestic flights and also by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. It is of immense strategic importance considering it has been entrusted upon the task of defending the coastal and Southern region of Pakistan. It houses the 32 Tactical Attack (TA) Wing which comprises six separate squadrons. squadrons include No 2 MR squadron operating JF-17C Block 2s, No 4 AWACS Squadron operating Karakoram Eagle AWACS, No 7 TA Squadron operating Mirage 3 ROSE 1, No 8 TA Squadron operating Mirage 5PA2/3, No 22 OCU operating Mirage 3EL/D and No 84 CSS operating AW-139 Seahawk CSAR helicopters. Base is also home to College of Aviation safety management and Tactical Air Support school (TASS).[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Shazia Hasan (7 September 2018). "Defence Day celebrated in city with great zeal". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 4 October 2021.
- ^ PAF inaugurates new operational air base at Bholari near Karachi
- ^ Khawaja Asif lays foundation stone of PAF Bholari base in Jamshoro
- ^ a b c Qadri, Azam (2014). Sentinels in the Sky: A Saga of PAF's Gallant Air Warriors. PAF Book Club.
- ^ Pakistan Air Force Bases (list includes PAF Base Masroor) nuke.fas.org website, Retrieved 4 October 2021
External links
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